Demon Vampire (The Redgold Series) (57 page)

“You put it very well, Zack. Yes and no. I want to kill and bath in the blood of my enemies, your enemies. You see Zack, that's not everyone. That's just a few hundred people to slaughter.” Salas' argument wasn't very convincing. “Think of everyone that has ever wronged you, dying a gruesome death before your feet. To hold their throats in our hands. I offer you this. The feeling of true absolution for the transgressions brought upon you in the past.”

“And if I don't want to kill people?” Zack proposed.

“Everyone wants to kill someone in a moment of anger.” Salas said coldly.

Zack wasn't buying it. “Not everyone Salas.” Zack smirked a little. “Well, not every time at least.”

Salas smiled, pleased at the fact he was getting through to Zack. “Finally, that's the smile I saw in her eyes. You really do have a dark side to you Zack, I can tell. There's a part of you, deep inside that laughs at all this, that enjoys the idea of killing. That lusts for it, even if it's momentarily.”

Zack held his head and shied away, not wanting to admit anything.

“You are still young yet, you don't know pain, you don't know loss. You will. You'll come to learn the ways of the world and the people in it. You'll come to know the many flavors of the personalities you devour. You'll learn as you drink their blood. The blood will taste fresh, it will be desirable. You will want it. You will crave it, as I do.” Salas ranted.

“And if that power alienates my friends and family?” Zack wondered.

“They never have to know.” Salas offered a reasonable excuse.

“And if I end up walking out of a gut wrenching car crash that kills everyone except me? Emerging without a scratch and caked with fresh blood, what then?” Zack suggested.

“Their minds won't be able to accept it. No one in their right mind would actually believe a real vampire exists, especially one of my caliber.” Salas was pleased with his answer.

Zack thought about what Salas had said in the past, about his offer, about his threats. “What exactly do you want to do with me, through me?”

Over-zealously Salas responded. “It is not 'I', it is 'us' that will be creating a life to spawn legend.”

“You mean more killing, don't you? Ripping the heads off of anyone that stands in my way, don't you?” Zack returned to the fire, coming to his senses finally.

“More like tearing out the entrails of the first aggressor to strangle the next.” Salas smiled. The imagery brought back clear memories of a life long gone and buried, a life he missed.

“That's not helping your cause you know.” Zack sighed.

“I'm just informing you that the day will come. Someone will hurt you, they will threaten to kill you. When that happens, I will be there waiting. Ready to answer your need and slaughter the one before you.” Salas told Zack.

“Is this one of those sooner or later speeches?” Zack rebuked.

“Sooner than later. Zack, Malio is only three days away. Without my help, you die. I've seen it.” Salas was confident of his statement.

“Now you're a fortune teller, huh? I thought you were a psychic.” Zack said.

“I am a force of power that has come to know how the foregoing events will eventually pan out. From where you stand the future is a shadow without definition.” Salas tilted his head and grinned. “From where I sit, there is no such shadow. The light penetrates all, and the future is clear as the hand before you.”

“And you're certain of this?” Zack asked.

“If I didn't see it for myself, I wouldn't be so concerned for your life.” Salas didn't have any compassion for Zack's plight, only for his continued existence.

“You mean 'your' life. You wouldn't be telling me this if it didn't affect 'your' life.” Zack corrected Salas.

“I said exactly what I meant, Zack. I am immortal, you are not. Your death is an inconvenience for me, not a hindrance.” Salas was callous in his statement, showing no remorse for the fate he foretold.

Zack became nauseous, this was not setting well with him.

“Through you, I have the chance to redeem myself, Zack. Fate has gifted me to you and you to me. We are one for your life and part of mine. Together you have a chance at power and I have a bid at atonement. At the end of your life, time will pass and I will be granted a fresh audience for my cause. My question is Zack, at the end of your life, will you have obtained that power, that freedom? I will always get another chance, you will not.” Salas was cold.

“And if I die before I get the chance to ask?” Zack looked at Salas.

Salas turned to meet Zack's eyes. “Then you die and I go away for another three hundred years.”

A pit in Zack's stomach tightened. He was no longer nauseous, he felt sick. If it actually came down to it and Zack had to choose, he wasn't sure of his answer. He knew that giving himself to the demon wasn't right, it was evil after all. It wanted to kill everyone, and it could if given the chance. But Salas was not the demon Kyli and Yugo had painted him to be. He was cruel and quite odd, but not completely evil. He wanted to help himself and Zack at the same time. Zack thought there was nothing wrong with that. He couldn't find fault with Salas' logic either. This was something that needed pondering. Zack needed the time he didn't have. Malio was going to kill him in three days. The demon knew it, Marin knew it, Kyli knew it, and Zack feared it. Zack didn't have the strength to fend Malio off, or even attempt to overpower him. The mental training was impressive, but Zack wasn't sparing with a 400 year old vampeal. Malio would be different. Zack would be defenseless against him, he didn't like it, but he needed Salas. Zack needed the demon's strength.

The sky above Zack flashed, changing color from black to blue, then white. A pulling sensation was tugging at Zack. He was coming to, back to the real world again.

“It seems they want you back.” Salas remarked. “Maybe more than I do.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Zack yelled out loud at Salas.

Zack swung at Salas, attempting to grab at him and stay in the dream world to ask more about what was actually going on. Salas faded into thin air as Zack's fingers met his face. It was the same type of illusion as when he was locked behind the closet doors in the dream he had, the same night he met Kyli. Zack thought it was odd, something like that couldn't be a simple coincidence.

The background faded away as it transitioned into Kyli's apartment. Zack had been taken back to her place. He didn't know how much time had actually passed. Normally, the dream world time passed quickly and the real world stood still as long as it needed to while Zack remained within it. This didn't seem to be the case. Zack looked around, at the room, at his clothes. He was changed out of the tuxedo and into a black long sleeve shirt with black lounge slacks and white socks. The silver glasses his father, John had given him were on the white coffee table. Hints of his red blood remained on the feathers. Zack sat up and reached for them. He could have sworn he had left them in his room at his dad's, but there they were. Zack held his head with the other hand. He felt groggy, like he had been asleep for longer than a few hours. As his hand met the glasses, his fingers fell through. He tried again, the glasses were there clear as day, but Zack couldn't grasp them. There were some papers sitting under them on the table. Scattered photos and document folders lay tossed in a slight effort to analyze them. Zack leaned forward and shifted his focus to the papers before him. He picked up the photo under the glasses as they disappeared. Like smoke passing through the room, they faded away. The photo was large and distinct. It was a tapestry of a black rose. It looked like a coat of arms of sorts, very elaborate and artistic. The thorns reminded Zack of what Salas had said. It reminded him of the shadowy thorn armor he adorned while fighting Kyli in the dream world. The image was familiar to Zack, but he had never seen anything like it in his life. There was a strong feeling that this was important and that Zack needed to examine the rest of the documents closely.

A rustling came from Kyli's bedroom. The faint sound of her humming was enough to let Zack know she hadn't noticed he was awake yet. Silently Zack read the first lines of the sachet under the photo. Zack had an idea that Salas was trying to tell him something without knocking him out again.

The paper read: 'over the last 1200 years there have been many references to the figure described as the Black Rose. He is never mentioned to be one man, but many. Coming to the same groups of people throughout a distinctive time line to accomplish a singular goal. At the time of this writing, we do not know what it is pursuing. We do know that is needs to connect with its host first, since it has tried to do so with each incarnation.'

“Zack!” Kyli's voice shouted as she walked into the living room naked. Her long wet black hair, thinly covered her breasts and was laying gingerly over her lower body. She was not happy at Zack. “Zack! What the hell are you doing? That's private!”

Zack didn't say anything, there was nothing to say. His mind was blank as he stared at Kyli's well toned glistening body. She had just came from the shower. It was mesmerizing and entrancing to look at. Kyli was a dream in the flesh. Any comment Zack could have made in the moment was void to the sense of beauty portrayed before him. One word and one word only came out. “Gorgeous.”

“What did you say?” Kyli snapped at Zack, then looked down at her lack of personal clothing. “Oh, well this is more than a little egg on my face, isn't it?”

Zack nodded, still dazed by her completely naked form.

“You can stop staring now.” Kyli said to Zack with a harsh voice.

Zack slightly turned his head side to side.

Kyli huffed and stormed off, back into her bedroom. The sight of her curvy body dancing in Zack's mind.

Zack's eyes trailed back down to the photo in his hand of the black rose. “Kyli, what's the black rose?”

“None of your business. Don't you want to know what time it is?” Kyli asked Zack as she came back out with a thin red flowing sun dress on. She tightened the large black felt tie as she continued. “Don't you feel a little groggy? How long do you think you've been out?”

The idea that Zack had slept for more than the night hadn't occurred to him. A few hours, ten, twenty, how long have I been asleep? “Kyli how much time have I got?”

Kyli didn't answer, she hesitated.

There was a rock that fell in Zack's stomach. A knot that gathered and told him the answer. He had been out for days, not hours.

“Two days Zack.” Kyli solemnly walked over to her dresser, picked up a small mirror and handed it to Zack. “He's been busy with you, take a look.”

“When will Marin come for me?” Zack said softly as he raised the mirror. His face had changed, he looked older, more defined. His hair had grown out, it was full and loose. His cheeks had receded, his frame had gained muscle as well. He was fourteen and appeared to be in his late teens, practically nineteen.

“At least you'll look good at your funeral.” Kyli said as she sat down next to Zack on the couch.

“If they find the body.” Zack said without thinking. He realized he was making fun of his own impending death and it was a little too creepy for him. “So, what about Marin?”

“Tomorrow night, he'll be here tomorrow night. That's what Ellen said.” Kyli put her hand in Zack's, their fingers crossed.

“So even Ellen can read Marin now?” Zack said with a faint sense of humor.

“No, he can't. He's known Marin for many years now. Since Ellen was a little kid. It's more like a hunch than fortune telling. Besides the solar eclipse is the day after that. It would make sense that Malio would pick that time. To make your blood fresh enough until the ceremony begins the following day.” Kyli squeezed Zack's hand. “It's a matter of convenience.”

“Ceremony?” Zack had heard that word too many times lately.

“It's more like a formality. They place the blood in a solar oven with an ultraviolet filter over it. Before the current method, a fine silk screen was used. With the new technology, things have gotten easier. During the eclipse the blood crystallizes and it forms Redgold. When Malio consumes it, he'll absorb your gift. Then he'll crush the Redgold of a full vampire and eat that as well. After that, he'll be practically immortal.” Kyli explained. “He will have solidified all of his stolen gifts, including yours.”

A little voice in the back of Zack's mind scoffed at the idea. “So he's waiting for me is he?”

“Yeah, you're the last piece of the pie. He's been making himself into a one man gift factory over the last three hundred plus years. All he needs is you Zack, the gift of a powerful psychic and he's done. Grey's found out a lot about him, but we really don't know how many gifts he actually has, or what he can do with them. This guy is a recluse. We just know that he is a very angry twelve year old.” Kyli let go of Zack's hand and gathered the paperwork on the table.

“Twelve year old? I thought you said he was 412 years old?” Zack paused, he knew Kyli was distracting him in order to cover up what she didn't want him to see on the table. “Hey, wait, you didn't answer my question.”

“Oh, sorry. He drinks enough blood to stay eternally young. You can do it too if you drink enough. However in your case, that might trigger the awakening of the demon gift.” Kyli completely dodged the real question.

Zack looked at Kyli with squinted eyes. That was not the answer he was going for. “Who is the black rose?”